America's next National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, said adversaries around the world are presenting challenges to the U.S. “at warp speed” and acknowledged that the prospects of assuming the position next week are daunting.

“The gravity of this moment is a bit overwhelming,” Flynn said Tuesday at a Washington event entitled “Passing the Baton,” which focused on how the Trump administration will take control of the government from U.S. President Barack Obama.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, will succeed Susan Rice, who told the conference Flynn “inherits a vital job” at a time when the global security landscape is “as unsettled as any recent time in history.”

Rice said the transition process is ongoing but would not disclose details because much of the information “is highly classified.”

As national security advisor, Flynn will serve as the chief in-house advisor to President-elect Donald Trump on national security issues.